Use the guiding questions that we came up with in class to describe a standards-based lesson. This lesson could be one that you make up or one that you watch on video. Important: Be sure that your learning objective aligns with a curriculum standard.
I. Standard Benchmark(s) and Learning Objective:
The science teaching standards describe what teachers of science at all grade levels should know and be able to do. They are divided into six areas:
(http://books.nap.edu/html/nses/html/overview.html#teaching, 2007). The state standard states in the lesson plan that we observed that students should be able to :demonstrate conceptual understanding of measurable attributes using comparative language to describe and compare attributes of objects (length [longer, shorter], height [taller, shorter], weight [heavier, lighter], temperature [warmer, cooler], and capacity [more, less]); and compares objects visually and with direct comparison.
The Objective of this lesson plan is that students will:
1. Understand that weight is a form of measurement;
2. Demonstrate an understanding that the weight of an object can be measured using a balance; and
3. Demonstrate an understanding of relative weight using the comparative language of heavier and lighter.
II. The Learning Environment
One thing that I noticed about the classroom was that there was a huge carpet surrounded by shelves of books for the children to read while they sat on the carpet. It seems as if that area was also used as a circle time or a discussion area. The kids desks were also put into circles or groups, all of the kids were in the center of the room.
In the beginning, there was teacher-student interaction. The teacher would ask questions, and the group of students would interact with the teacher by answering her questions. Then, later on the children worked in groups and did a worksheet to complete the lesson. This was student-student interaction. It was good at the end, the teacher praised the children for their efforts on how well they worked together and handled the equipment. This shows that she gives respect to the children, and they gave it in return.
III. The Learning Activities
The lesson began on the rug with the whole class. The teacher used the scale to demonstrate weight measurement. She uses objects such as tennis balls, oranges, cards, and staples. She allows all the students to make predictions and be involved throughout the entire presentation. The kids then, went back to their tables to work in groups and measure objects on their own. The students use the same objects as the teacher did in the demonstration. They predicted which objects they believed would be heavier, performed the tests, and then recorded their results on data sheets. The class then gathered back at the rug to discuss the results of the experiments.
There were no large student produced artifacts such as a project or presentation. The only artifacts produced with this activity are the data sheets used to record the kids scientific results. However, these data sheets would really be classified better as assessments rather than artifacts.
IV. Assessment Strategies/Items
Before, during, and after the lesson, the teacher gives several assessments to make sure the students learned what was intended. Before the lesson begins, the teacher makes sure that the students understand how the scale works in order to understand what is happening when there are objects invovled. During the lesson, the teacher is constantly asking the students, "Why did this (meaning the movement of the scale) happen?" This allows her to assess how well the students are grasping the concept they are learning. The teacher next assesses the students' knowledge more conventionally, with check lists. The students are able to write down on paper the predictions they have made and the results they have found. Throughout this time, the teacher also makes sure the kids understand what they're doing and learning by walking around the classroom and observing and asking quiestions. The teacher finally assesses what the students have learned by bringing them back to rug and talking about what they found in their own investigations.
The assessment results can be used in a number of ways in the future. First of all, they can be used to make sure that students have learned what they were intended to learn for basic grading purposes. They can also be used to assess what the students haven't learned and which students need more help on this topic. Second, these assessments allow the teacher to judge how she will conduct future lessons related to this topic. For instance, if she should put more emphasis on teaching a certain aspect of the weight measuring process.
- rmason22 I found the lesson to be efficient for the level, I however would not conduct my lesson in this manner. Although the lesson did achieve the standards, I felt that it could have been done in a more interesting way.
- V_Waldeisen I thought that this lesson was a good lesson for the grade level, but I think that it could have been made "more fun". I feel as if I were the child in that class, I would have been bored and wanted to make it more fun. I think that if the teacher had asked the children to bring in items that they would have wanted to weigh, it would have made it more fun. Not only would it have been more fun, but it would have created a good basis for the students to interact on different levels. They would have seen the different toys, if the children chose to bring in toys, they could have created a basis for interaction. The children therefore would have been able to learn to communicate better, and maybe break any shyness barriers that there may have been. All in all, I think that this lesson would have been as effective, if not more effective, if the children had been able to bring in their own artifcats then it would have hit two birds with one stone.
Title:
Authors:
1.Rachel Mason2.Tory Waldeisen
Use the guiding questions that we came up with in class to describe a standards-based lesson. This lesson could be one that you make up or one that you watch on video. Important: Be sure that your learning objective aligns with a curriculum standard.
I. Standard Benchmark(s) and Learning Objective:
The science teaching standards describe what teachers of science at all grade levels should know and be able to do. They are divided into six areas:
- The planning of inquiry-based science programs.
- The actions taken to guide and facilitate student learning.
- The assessments made of teaching and student learning.
- The development of environments that enable students to learn science.
- The creation of communities of science learners.
- The planning and development of the school science program.
(http://books.nap.edu/html/nses/html/overview.html#teaching, 2007). The state standard states in the lesson plan that we observed that students should be able to :demonstrate conceptual understanding of measurable attributes using comparative language to describe and compare attributes of objects (length [longer, shorter], height [taller, shorter], weight [heavier, lighter], temperature [warmer, cooler], and capacity [more, less]); and compares objects visually and with direct comparison.The Objective of this lesson plan is that students will:
1. Understand that weight is a form of measurement;
2. Demonstrate an understanding that the weight of an object can be measured using a balance; and
3. Demonstrate an understanding of relative weight using the comparative language of heavier and lighter.
II. The Learning Environment
One thing that I noticed about the classroom was that there was a huge carpet surrounded by shelves of books for the children to read while they sat on the carpet. It seems as if that area was also used as a circle time or a discussion area. The kids desks were also put into circles or groups, all of the kids were in the center of the room.In the beginning, there was teacher-student interaction. The teacher would ask questions, and the group of students would interact with the teacher by answering her questions. Then, later on the children worked in groups and did a worksheet to complete the lesson. This was student-student interaction. It was good at the end, the teacher praised the children for their efforts on how well they worked together and handled the equipment. This shows that she gives respect to the children, and they gave it in return.
III. The Learning Activities
The lesson began on the rug with the whole class. The teacher used the scale to demonstrate weight measurement. She uses objects such as tennis balls, oranges, cards, and staples. She allows all the students to make predictions and be involved throughout the entire presentation. The kids then, went back to their tables to work in groups and measure objects on their own. The students use the same objects as the teacher did in the demonstration. They predicted which objects they believed would be heavier, performed the tests, and then recorded their results on data sheets. The class then gathered back at the rug to discuss the results of the experiments.There were no large student produced artifacts such as a project or presentation. The only artifacts produced with this activity are the data sheets used to record the kids scientific results. However, these data sheets would really be classified better as assessments rather than artifacts.
IV. Assessment Strategies/Items
Before, during, and after the lesson, the teacher gives several assessments to make sure the students learned what was intended. Before the lesson begins, the teacher makes sure that the students understand how the scale works in order to understand what is happening when there are objects invovled. During the lesson, the teacher is constantly asking the students, "Why did this (meaning the movement of the scale) happen?" This allows her to assess how well the students are grasping the concept they are learning. The teacher next assesses the students' knowledge more conventionally, with check lists. The students are able to write down on paper the predictions they have made and the results they have found. Throughout this time, the teacher also makes sure the kids understand what they're doing and learning by walking around the classroom and observing and asking quiestions. The teacher finally assesses what the students have learned by bringing them back to rug and talking about what they found in their own investigations.The assessment results can be used in a number of ways in the future. First of all, they can be used to make sure that students have learned what they were intended to learn for basic grading purposes. They can also be used to assess what the students haven't learned and which students need more help on this topic. Second, these assessments allow the teacher to judge how she will conduct future lessons related to this topic. For instance, if she should put more emphasis on teaching a certain aspect of the weight measuring process.
-
-
SBLD Eval - Rachel Tory